643: To be continued tomorrow

“Cough, cough...”

Li Yang never expected Lü Zheng to suddenly say such a thing. A mouthful of warm water he had just taken from the cup on the table almost choked him, causing him to cough violently as his cheeks instantly turned red.

He hurriedly waved his hand and explained with a hint of panic in his tone.

“Cough, cough... So she's your sister! I was just asking out of curiosity, nothing else, please don't overthink it!”

As he spoke, he secretly felt glad that he hadn't said anything rude just now, but he couldn't help muttering in his heart.

So that lady was Lü Zheng's sister. It makes sense, they are both from the Lü Family, so there must be some blood relation. If I had known, I wouldn't have asked.

To be honest, he really only wanted to find some topics to get closer, and truly had no other intentions.

Looking at Li Yang's flustered and defensive appearance, Lü Zheng couldn't help but let out a low laugh.

He didn't continue teasing, stopping while he was ahead.

After all, teasing is one thing, but pushing too hard would likely be counterproductive.

Although he felt it was a bit of a pity that he couldn't take the opportunity to play matchmaker, on second thought, at least his relationship with Li Yang was already quite good, and there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

In the brief interval while the two were talking with lowered voices, the main light group above the rostrum suddenly brightened, piercing through the previous dim atmosphere of the venue without warning.

Cold, frost-like incandescent light flooded in like a tide, instantly covering the entire platform.

On the walls, five Empire flags stood solemnly on each side. On the gilded base in the center, an Imperial Emblem over two meters in diameter hung high. A majestic and oppressive official aura, like an invisible dome, instantly enveloped the entire conference hall.

Seeing this display, Li Yang almost reflexively swallowed his words, and the syllables in his throat came to an abrupt halt.

The faint murmurs of conversation in the venue vanished in the same second, and even the air seemed to freeze slightly.

Every uniformed Imperial Official present was well-versed in the iron rules of high-level Imperial administrative meetings.

When such a guard of honor is set and the Imperial Emblem is hung high, it is the signal for the final countdown of the assembly. Any slight laxity is equivalent to violating regulations, and no one dares to cross the line.

Everyone consciously straightened their backs, their shoulders tense, their hands flat on their knees, sitting in silence, even keeping their breathing shallow.

The long and solemn silence lasted for several breaths before the heavy dark-gold velvet curtains backstage were slowly pulled aside, and six figures as tall and straight as pines stepped out with steady paces one by one.

Their leather boots stepped across the mirror-like floor without making any extra sound. Their pace and stride were perfectly synchronized, fully displaying the demeanor of top-level officials.

They followed the order of seating and sat down steadily behind the ten-meter-long table on the rostrum, their backs straight and their posture formal.

The nameplates standing in front of the table were then activated, with gilded engravings of official titles and names floating on the surface.

Li Yang also looked over curiously, locking onto the first seat of the rostrum. When the gold-stamped characters on the nameplate hit his eyes, his chest tightened, he took a quiet breath, and his heart skipped a beat.

“De Long, Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the Supreme Political Council.”

The structure of the Imperial Supreme Political Council was an iron rule familiar to every Imperial Official.

The Premier oversees the overall administrative affairs of the Empire, with eight great departments under him. The eight ministers and the Premier, totaling nine people, form the core decision-making circle of the Empire's administration.

De Long was precisely one of the eight ministers, a solid B1-level official with immense power and deep seniority, firmly positioned at the top of the Empire's bureaucratic system.

He was only one step away from the A-level rank that symbolized the peak of the Empire, an existence that countless low-to-mid-level officials could spend their entire careers without even coming close to.

After De Long sat down, he did not pause much. His voice, adjusted by professional amplification equipment, was thick and majestic, carrying an unquestionable sense of pressure that spread to every corner of the venue, even the echoes from the dome sounding solemn.

“comrades, welcome to the Imperial Best Official Selection and Commendation Meeting. I presume you all already have a good idea of the core topics of this meeting.”

His deep gaze slowly swept over the crowd sitting neatly below. Wherever his gaze landed, even the air seemed to be pressed down a bit. Then he spoke again, his voice clear and resonant.

“The one thousand two hundred comrades present have all been selected through layers of rigorous assessment by Star Domain direct units and local administrative departments, or directly recommended by the Supreme Political Council. Every one of you is a leader in your respective positions. Among you, there are eight hundred twenty-three B-level officials and three hundred seventy-seven C-level administrative officials.

According to past regulations, this assembly will evaluate eight hundred Excellent Officials from among you to be commended; select three hundred Best Official Nominees; and finally, select the top one hundred Best Officials.”

As his voice fell, although no one below spoke, an extremely faint ripple of breath spread through the air. Many officials' eyes flickered with emotion, and their heartbeats quietly accelerated, yet they still maintained their upright sitting posture, and the entire venue remained pin-drop silent.

After all, the vast majority of officials present were entering such a high-specification top-level venue for the first time in their lives. They were completely unfamiliar with the evaluation details and internal selection regulations of the meeting, so they could only hold their breath and wait for the announcement, not daring to make any out-of-place moves.

“All personnel on the selection list have been verified by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the Supreme Political Council and finalized through three rounds of rigorous selection. The entire process is fair, just, and open. If there are any objections, you may submit an appeal to the Supreme Political Council according to the regulations after the meeting concludes.”

De Long's voice was resonant, and the solemn declaration of rules echoed above the venue.

But to the officials below, these words were merely a formality of official rhetoric.

The hierarchy of the Empire's officialdom was strict, and the decisions of the Supreme Political Council were the final word. Who would dare to actually raise an objection?

That would be no different from destroying one's own career and cutting off any future path of promotion.

Being able to join this one thousand two hundred-person assembly was already a massive honor. Even just securing a spot among the basic eight hundred commended names was a glory that local officials and those at the grassroots level could hardly achieve in a lifetime.

Li Yang was also calculating this in his heart, his eyes showing a clear sense of self-awareness.

He had always been known for his rapid promotion, standing here at such a young age. However, the fast pace of his promotion also meant that his time rooted in his positions was short, and the depth of his solid political achievements and administrative resume was Far inferior to those veteran colleagues who had worked deeply in their positions for hundreds of years.

Therefore, he had already prepared himself mentally. If he could get a spot for commendation, the trip would be worthwhile. If he could make it into the three hundred-person nomination list, it would be an exceeding surprise.

As for the final one hundred Best Officials, he hadn't even thought about it. That was the arena for top-level senior officials and had nothing to do with a rising star like him.

Just as Li Yang's thoughts were sinking slightly, De Long's deep voice rang out again, officially entering the list-reading phase.

“Next, I will announce the list of comrades who have been awarded commendation. Far... Lin Hainan... Karen von...”

One name after another was slowly spoken by the minister. The tone was steady and emotionless, yet every word struck the hearts of the officials present.

Li Yang held his breath, his ears strained, taking in every name read and the subtle reactions of the colleagues around him. Occasionally, a very soft sigh came from nearby, likely from an awardee who felt some regret about not being able to go a step further.

De Long's speaking speed was neither fast nor slow. The long reading of the list lasted for nearly fifteen minutes until the last name was read, and the eight hundred commendation spots were fully announced.

Li Yang was first stunned, then his tense shoulders suddenly relaxed, and a surprise that was hard to conceal surged in his eyes.

He had listened carefully to the entire process, and his name had never appeared.

According to the regulations, those not listed among the eight hundred commended personnel automatically join the three hundred Best Official Nominee sequence! He had secured a higher-level nomination qualification, Far exceeding his previous expectations.

He quickly glanced to his side. Lü Zheng, who had joined the meeting at the same time as him, also raised his eyes slightly at this moment. Their gazes met, both understanding the situation.

Lü Zheng's name was also not in the commendation list, meaning he had also made it into the nominations.

On the other side, Marcus had a faint smile on his lips. Clearly, the list just read had prominently featured his name. However, for him, this unexpected nomination was already a great recognition of his political achievements, satisfying enough and sufficiently Perfection.

“Next, I will announce the list of comrades selected as Best Official Nominees.”

De Long's voice remained steady, but it caused the atmosphere below, which had slightly relaxed, to tighten again. Li Yang also subconsciously sat up straight.

In the next second, the deep announcement struck his ears:

“Li Yang... Lü Zheng...”

Li Yang's heart shook violently. The expected nomination was finalized, but what was a bit surprising was that Lü Zheng was actually only a nominee as well.

He turned to look at Lü Zheng beside him, whose eyes also held a hint of a surprised smile.

The nomination list was finished, and after a short pause in the venue, De Long proceeded to announce the final list of the hundred Best Officials of the year.

In the intervals between the words, Li Yang quietly used the Intellect Brain in his mind to check the resumes and backgrounds of the officials on the list.

The data was summarized line by line and presented on his retinal projection, completing the search in a few moments.

The results Far exceeded Li Yang's expectations.

Although half of the hundred selected came from official families and had some Foundation, in terms of Family heritage and influential backgrounds, not a single one could compare with Lü Zheng from the Lü Family.

There were even nearly twenty officials whose resumes were completely clean, with no Family protection or top-level recommendations. They had relied entirely on consistent solid political achievements over a hundred years and brilliant performances in several administrative breakthroughs to rise step by step from the grassroots to B-level central positions—truly humble beginnings reaching the top.